1. To quickly assess an item's quality, hold the fabric¹ up to a bright light.

要快速判断一件衣服的质量，就拿起布料对着亮光

Here's an example of two different silk blouses held up against a strong light. "The thicker the material, the higher the quality," Debbie Roes² — creator of the Recovering Shopaholic blog — told BuzzFeed.

比如就像这样把两件不同的真丝衬衫拿起来对着强光。“布料越密，质量越好”，《发现购物狂》博客的创建者戴比•罗埃斯对BuzzFeed网站说。

2. Do the "scrunch³ test" to see if clothes stay wrinkly.

看衣服是否容易褶皱，做“揉捏测试”

Ball part of the garment up in your fist, hold it for a few seconds, and then let it go. Does the fabric stay wrinkled or do the wrinkles come out quickly? If it can't stand being wrinkled for a few seconds in your hand, it's probably not going to withstand the test of time.

把衣服的一部分团起来捏在拳头里，坚持几秒钟再放开。布料皱了还是褶皱很快就抚平了？如果捏在手里几秒钟就皱了，那么它也不太可能经受得住时间的检验。

3. And for a quick quality check, do the "pull test."

迅速检查质量，做“拉力测试”

Gently tug⁴ on the fabric (this work especially well with a skirt or the bottom part of a dress) and then release it. Does the fabric retain its shape? Or does the material look altered?

轻轻地拉下布料（这尤其对裙子或衣服下摆特别有效），然后松开。布料还能恢复原来的形状吗？或者，布料看上去变形了吗？

4. When in doubt, shop in the men's department.

拿不准主意的时候，去男装部逛逛

"Super thin, gauzy tops are currently a trend in women's clothing," Roes said. "This trend also allows designers to spend less money on materials for their garments." If you're looking for a shirt that's NOT see-through, check out the men's sections for tees and oversized button-ups with higher quality. Also, since menswear offers fewer clothing patterns, their items tend to be less expensive than the women's equivalent.

“超薄、轻透的上衣目前是女装的流行趋势，”罗埃斯说。“借助这一趋势，设计师们在服装衣料上花的钱更少了。”如果你想找件看着不透的衬衫，去男装区看看有没有高质量的T恤或大码系扣衬衫吧。而且，因为男装供应的款式较少，他们的衣服比同等质量的女装便宜一点。

5. Avoid exposed zippers⁶ since they can be a sign of low quality.

不要买露出拉链的衣服，它们也许是质量低的标志

"Unless an exposed zipper⁵ is a design element, zippers should lie flat and be covered with a placket," said Roes. "And unless it's part of the design, the stitching holding the zipper in place should match the fabric."

“拉链应该平直服帖，被门襟遮住，除非暴露出来的拉链是一个设计元素，”罗埃斯说。“而且拉链的缝线应与布料相配，除非缝线是设计的一部分。”

6. Check to see if skirts and pants have decent hem⁷ allowances — especially if you're tall.

检查一下看看裙子和裤子是否留出足够的底摆边高——尤其是高个子

The hem allowance is the width between the hemline and the hem edge. If you're tall, you already know that this extra bit of fabric can be a life-saver when it comes to tailoring items to be a little longer. "Generally speaking, straight or pencil skirts made in a medium- to heavy-weight fabric can have 1-1/2-inch to 2-inch hem allowances," Roes said. "A-line skirts should have 1-½ inch hem allowance to reduce bulk⁸."

底摆边高就是底边到折边的宽度。如果你是高个子，那么你已经知道这点多余的布料在送去给裁缝加长的时候简直是根救命稻草。“一般说来，由中厚布料制成的直筒裙或铅笔裙，底摆边高在1.5到2英寸，”罗埃斯说。“为了让下摆不显得臃肿，直筒裙底摆边高应该留1.5英寸。”

7. And keep in mind that well-made pants have French seams.

牢记，制作考究的裤子都有法式接缝

French seams are a favored seam-finishing technique for designers, Roes explained, since the raw edges of the fabric are hidden in a neat finished seam.

罗埃斯解释说，法式接缝是设计师们喜欢的一种缝制技术，因为布料的毛边可以隐藏在整齐的包边里。

8. Always check the care instructions label for natural fibers⁹.

总是检查天然纤维服装的保养说明标签

"Natural fibers like silk, cotton, and wool stand up to wear and tear better than synthetic¹⁰ materials," Roes said.

“丝、棉、羊毛等天然纤维比人造纤维更耐穿耐磨，”罗埃斯说。

9. Make sure your pattern matches at the seams.

确保衣服图案在缝合处相匹配

Check the side seams of a shirt and around any pockets to instantly tell if quality is high or not. "Matching a plaid or horizontal stripe may mean using more fabric to cut out the individual pieces of the garment, which can drive up the cost," Roes said.

检查一下衬衫的侧缝线或任何口袋的周围，就能立即判断质量好不好。“如果格子或水平条纹能够匹配，说明剪裁单块衣料用了更多的布，这会让成本上升。”罗埃斯说。

10. You should also check the seams to make sure all of the thread matches.

你还应该检查接缝确保所有的走线都相匹配

"Quality top-stitching should be straight, in matching thread (unless the top-stitching is designed for contrast) and have a high number of stitches per inch," Rose said.

“高质量的间面线应该是笔直的，走线应该互相匹配（除非设计初衷是利用间面线来产生对比效果），且每英寸的针脚密度高，”罗埃思说。